Miracles
by Lady Loraine
Summary: Challenge Prompt: Miracle Near 34th Street. The BAU is called to Washington D.C. just before Christmas. Will a miracle be found or will Christmas slip by in the darkness?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Needless to say, I don't own anything but the plot. :)_

Criminal Minds:

Challenge Prompt: A Miracle Near 34th Street

"HELP! HELP! SOMEONE!!!" the young blonde haired, blue eyed girl hollered from the alley way. A hard right hook knocked into her jaw and sent her reeling into the dumpster beside her. "Please don't," the girl cried as her assailant gave her a forceful knick to the abdomen. The pain was too much for her to bear and she quickly let the darkness take her as her tears froze to her pale cheeks.

* * * *

"What did you do this weekend, Reid," Derek Morgan sat on the corner of the desk of the youngest member of the BAU team, Spencer Reid.

Reid looked up from the file he was reviewing and thought for a moment. "Read a couple of books," he finally responded.

Morgan's eyebrows rose, though he knew he shouldn't be surprised. "That's it? You sat in all weekend to read a couple of books?"

Reid sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. He pursed his lips and glanced to the left quickly before meeting Morgan's gaze again, "Yeah."

"Reid, kid, you need to get out more. Meet some girls, live lift…"

"Yeah, just like you do Morgan?" Emily Prentiss interrupted him. "Spending long nights doing paperwork just so you can call one of your many no-questions-asked girlfriends. When was the last time you saw the inside of a bar?"

"Hey, hey," Morgan laughed. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," he beamed at her.

"Hey guys." Everyone looked up to see Jennifer Jareau walking along the balcony. "Conference room," she finished.

The smiles left the team's faces as they filed up the stairs and into the conference room. JJ pulled up pictures of several women on the plasma screen as everyone took their seats around the table. "These women were all attacked in the past 7 days in South East D.C."

Leafing through the file sitting in front of him, Reid questioned, "None of these women were killed?"

"Correct," JJ gave the affirmation. "However, each woman was pregnant and they all miscarried."

Hotch sat and watched everyone around the table. JJ had discussed this case with him instead of Morgan because of the impact it would have on them, as parents. The team had been through a lot recently and with Christmas only days away, she didn't want to put Hotch in a position that his already fragile emotions couldn't handle. With thoughts of Jack in his mind, Hotch agreed that stopping this Unsub was important.

And so he sat and watched the emotions play out across each members face as JJ gave the brief. He wanted to be aware of what the impact on the team would be. They all help a special spot for both Jack and Henry, stepping in as Aunts and Uncles whenever necessary. The group that sat before him was more than a team, they were a family.

Reid's eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he digested the new information and start to form a pattern in his head. Morgan sat back in his chair with a hiss before asking, "It appears the attacks were centered on each victim's abdomen. You think the fetuses were the targets?"

"That does appear to be the case," JJ answered.

Hotch watched David Rossi who was fairly stoic, as usual. He watched as his eyes flitted from the screen, to his file, to Prentiss, and back to the screen again. Hotch's curiosity was peaked and he looked to Prentiss for an answer. What he saw surprised him. Emily was trying very hard to hide her emotions. What Hotch couldn't figure out though was what the emotion was. It seemed to change several times between anger, anxiety, fear and determination. None of this made any sense to him, though he felt that it did to Rossi.

Hotch contemplated this as he turned back to JJ while she finished the brief.

"From the time of the first victim, Sarah Cusak, the Unsub waited 4 days before attacking Sherry Williams and then 3 days before his latest victim, Jane Dougherty."

"That could be a sign of escalation," Reid filled in.

"There doesn't seem to be an apparent connection. Difference looks, different social backgrounds. They were all waitresses but worked at different restaurants or cafes and in different parts of town," Rossi theorized.

"It's a start. Grab your go-bags and meet at the vehicles in 10," Morgan directed as he pushed his chair away from the table. "Hotch, JJ, a word?"

"I'm sorry for going behind your…" Hotch started as the last person filed out.

"No apologies necessary," Morgan cut him off. "I totally understand. Are you two going to OK with this?" he asked, looking them both in the eye.

"Yes," Hotch answered firmly.

"We _need_ to get this guy, Morgan," JJ looked hard at Morgan.

Morgan nodded his head, "OK. Let's get him."

* * *

_A/N: This is my very first attempt at a Criminal Minds story. Please be forgiving if the characters don't quite fit. But please feel free to review and tell me where I'm going wrong so that I don't stray too far. :) It's also my first attempt at a challenge. I had no idea what a challenge even was until I found Kavi's forum. Then I started reading the stories and figured it out. :) Thanks Kavi!_

_Please review and let me know what you think. I really appreciate it!!_


	2. Chapter 2

The drive to Washington D.C. gave the team time to swap ideas and theorize over speaker phone before they had to interview the victims.

"OK, Hotch and Prentiss, I want you to interview Sarah Cusak and Jane Dougherty. JJ and Rossi, you interview Sherry Williams. Reid, I want you to start the geographical profile at the station and I'll compile what Garcia sends over. Everyone is to meet at the station afterwards so we can brief a profile," Morgan rattled off the assignments as they pulled into the D.C. Police station. Morgan and Reid got out and JJ jumped in with Rossi before the SUVs took off again.

Morgan led Reid into the station and out of the blustery December air. An aging, balding man met them near the door.

"I'm Detective Childs," he said, offering his right hand.

Morgan grasped it firmly, "SSA Morgan and Dr. Read. The rest of our team already headed out to interview the victims. They'll meet back up with us later."

"We really appreciate you coming. I've got a room back here for you. Agent Jareau informed me of what you'll need. We did the best we could putting it together. Sorry it isn't much," Detective Childs apologized.

"This will work great," Morgan made a point to praise Detective Childs as he walked into the small conference room. He knew that the locals sometimes had a hard time working with them. Part of his job was to make them more comfortable in order to facilitate open communication and trust.

Reid immediately went to a map hung on a wall and started poking pins into it.

Morgan opened his phone and began dialing.

* * *

Emily reached out and rapped gently on the door. A wide eyed girl sitting in the bed startled at the sound. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Ms. Dougherty. I'm Special Agent Emily Prentiss and this is Special Agent Aaron Hotchner," Emily indicated Hotch standing behind her shoulder. She stepped into the room a little and showed her badge and Hotch did likewise. "We're with the FBI. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

The pale girl bit her trembling lip and nodded meekly. Emily's heart broke. As she drew closer to the girl and pulled a chair up beside her, she made mental notes on the damage done to the young woman. Her sapphire blue eyes were accentuated by the black and purple marks surrounding them. There was a swollen gash across the right side of her forehead and yellow and purple bruising lining the left side of her jaw. There were also a number of bruises and abrasions on her arms.

"I am so sorry for your loss," Emily started.

Hotch noticed that Emily voice wavered ever so slightly as she spoke. He mentally filed this piece of information away along with his observations from the briefing that morning as he listened intently while Emily rattled off a number of questions.

Yes, Jane had been working there for a little over 2 years; No, she had never had any conflict with any of the customers or co-workers; Yes, she was currently engaged and they were to get married in the spring, after the baby was born. Emily paused while she retrieved a tissue for Jane as a new set of tears came on. The baby was a girl and they were going to name her May, after her mother; No, she hadn't noticed anyone suspicious hanging around her home or work…

"How about anyone overly interested in you? In your pregnancy?" Emily pressed a little harder.

"No…yes…everyone is interested when you're heavy with child. I've had young children interested," the girl said through sniffles.

"You might have seen this person regularly. They always ask how you're doing and how the baby was doing. Maybe offered you a ride home or inquired about your schedule?" Emily needed Jane to get past her grief for a short while and think about those around her. If she couldn't offer them anything, then they had nowhere to start.

"Wait. There is a guy who would ask a lot of questions. Some I would even consider personal. I think his name is Danny. He comes into the restaurant a couple of times a week, usually for breakfast," Jane had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Can you describe to me what he looks like?" Emily asked quietly, trying not to break Jane's concentration.

"Yeah. He's not too tall. About my height, I guess. Unruly brown hair. It always looks like he just rolled out of bed. Brown eyes with bushy eyebrows but no mustache or anything. His hands looked pretty rough. Like maybe he's in construction or something? Is that good?" Jane ended tentatively.

"That was great and very helpful, Jane. Thank you so much for your time," Emily handed her a business card. "If there is anything else you can think of, please don't hesitate to give me a call."

Jane took the card and nodded shyly. "Thank you," she whispered.

Emily turned to Hotch and nodded. They left the room and silently started down the hospital hall towards the exit.

When she felt that she was out of earshot, Emily turned toward Hotch, "What do you think about this Danny guy?"

Hotch raised his eyebrows quickly, a gesture Emily came to learn was his idea of a shrug. "It's possible. There isn't much to go on with just a name and a description that could describe most men in their late teens and early twenties."

"That's what I thought too. Maybe we'll have better luck with Sarah," Emily finished as they walked the rest of the way to the SUV in silence.

* * *

"What's bothering you?" Hotch asked as they climbed back into the SUV after talking to Sarah.

"What do you mean?" Emily turned to him a little aggressively.

"You don't normally react to anger this way?" As Sarah's interview progressed, Hotch had noticed that Emily became more and more agitated as Sarah became more agitated. Though still very upset, Sarah had passed into the anger stage and didn't hesitate to show it through her colorful language and large gestures.

Emily sat quietly for a moment to collect her thoughts. She silently berated herself for allowing her emotions to take over and letting Hotch see them. She admitted to herself that she had a lot of respect for Hotch while she squelched the other feelings she held for him. "I'm fine."

Hotch gave her a closer look.

Emily turned away from him, unable to withstand the intensity of his gaze. She watched his reflection in the passenger window and saw him start to reach out to her before he stopped. She felt a momentary pang of loneliness. She wanted to feel his hand on her. She wanted to feel his closeness. She quickly pushed those feelings aside though. They weren't going to help her now and would only cause her more distress.

"You know you can talk to me about anything. My door is always open," Hotch's eyes locked with her reflection's gaze. She didn't have to say anything; her eye's said it all. She was hurting and he didn't know why. His throat constricted as her pain became his because there was nothing he could do for her.

Emily broke the eye contact first but continued to sit quietly. With a slightly pained expression, Hotch turned forward in his seat and started the SUV up.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys are my encouragement. I really appreciate the ideas that you have planted in my head which are causing some changes in future chapters (I hope for the better) that will make the story a little more detailed and complete._

_Thank you to all of the lurkers too. :) Even if you don't review, I know you're there and appreciating the story. Please don't hesitate to speak up though. :)_

_Have a great day and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please review._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: A huge shout out goes to Sienna27 for all of her hard work on the TV Prompt Challenge!! Sorry I missed you in my first chapter and I really appreciate all of the work you do on the forum. :)_

* * *

Hotch led Emily into the cramped conference room where the rest of the team already sat around the table. They were all talking quietly amongst themselves but quieted when Hotch and Emily stepped in.

Emily cast Rossi a weary look. He returned it with slightly raised eyebrows before turning his attention to Morgan.

"Alright, let's get started," Morgan brought their focus together.

"Sherry couldn't tell us much. Her attacker caught her on her way out of work. She was bringing one last bag of trash out to the alley when she was grabbed from behind. She was struck repeatedly over the head before she was knocked unconscious," Rossi debriefed. "She doesn't remember anything else."

"There was the same MO on our two victims," Hotch spoke up. "Knocked unconscious first. There are no obvious issues with family. Sarah is single and Jane's engaged. Both appear to be living inside their means."

"Looking at the cool down period between the assaults, the first was last Sunday, the second was Thursday and the third was this past Sunday. There is a 4 day break and then a 3 day break. This could either be a sign of escalation or of convenience. Perhaps the Unsub is only available on those nights," Reid pointed out. Turning to the map behind him, "The 3 assaults took place here, here, and here," he pointed to three separate locations. "They are all fairly close in proximity. It's possible that the Unsub lives nearby or perhaps works nearby."

"As a side note, one name came up with both Sarah and Jane. Danny. He showed excessive interest in their pregnancies," Hotch added.

"Danny also came up with Sherry," JJ interjected. "She thought his last name is Johnson but she wasn't too sure."

"Ok. I'll have Garcia work on it. But I still want to brief a profile in case it leads to nowhere."

The team huddled over the table while Morgan stepped aside to make his call.

"Goddess of All Things Known, speak and ye shall receive a blessing," Penelope Garcia's voice floated to him over the airwaves.

Morgan couldn't help but smile. Garcia was his ray of sunshine amidst all of the dark in their world. "Hey beautiful, I've got a name for you. Danny Johnson."

"Is this the guy?"

"Maybe. It's the only lead we have right now though."

"Ok. I'll send you everything as I get it."

"Thanks baby doll," Morgan hung up.

* * *

"The Unsub we're looking for is a white male between the ages of 22 and 30. He is most likely recently separated from either a girl friend or wife and is living by himself," Rossi opened the profile segment of the brief to the local police.

"He's charismatic and inquisitive. He talks reassuringly to make people feel at ease," Emily picks up. "This guy fits in with the crowd that surrounds him. He's confident and looks you in the eye when he talks to you. He has a nice smile and is most likely quite attractive. He's the kind of guy that you would let buy you a drink in a bar."

"He's most likely a blue collar worker. Construction, retail, something that allows him to maintain his social skills," Hotch carried on.

"It's possible that the sites of the attacks are near a work location. He takes the time he needs to get to know his victim before attacking. He's organized and calculating. He knows exactly what he's looking for and then takes the steps necessary to get it," Reid followed Hotch.

"The Unsub most likely has a criminal record. No serious crimes but various misdemeanors. Perhaps you are called to his home frequently for domestic disputes or he's been picked up for assault," JJ followed.

"We believe that the Unsub is stricken with grief. He is not going after the women, but their unborn children. Perhaps a girlfriend of wife miscarried or had an abortion without his knowledge. He feels that if he can't have the pleasure of having a child then no one should," Morgan finished. "Are there any questions?"

The police officers looked back at him quietly. "Ok. Their all yours again Detective," Morgan indicated to Detective Childs as the team filed out of the room.

* * *

"Garcia just faxed all of this over," JJ walked into the room holding up a stack of papers. She handed the individual stacks out and the team quickly looked them over.

"Danny Johnson certainly seems to fit our profile," Emily mused aloud.

"Yeah, his bank card records show that he frequented the diners in question. There also appear to be a few others that he prefers," Morgan added. "How much you want to bet that there are pregnant women working there as well?"

"Criminal record with several accounts of assault," Reid read aloud.

"We probably shouldn't jump to conclusions," Rossi said calmly.

"No, but we can bring him in for questioning," Morgan said. "Shall we see if he's home?"

The team got up, informed Detective Childs and followed a police escort to the Johnson residence.

* * *

"I don't know why you have me here," Danny Johnson whined from where he sat at the table in the interrogation room.

"Sure you do, Danny," Morgan leaned over him. "You beat up a couple of pregnant women to make yourself feel better."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Danny looked up at him incredulously.

"Oh, come on Danny. Why'd you do it? Your girlfriend didn't want to carry your baby? So you're gonna take it out on a couple of innocent women?"

"What? N… n… no?! I never hurt anyone!"

* * *

"This isn't our guy," Rossi said aloud while watching the interrogation from behind the mirror. "He doesn't have the personality at all." He shook his head, thinking.

Hotch's phone rang, "Hotch." He listened quietly for a moment, "Ok. Thanks." He hung up the phone.

"Johnson's home computer is loaded with porn of pregnant women," Hotch said to the room.

"Really?" Reid's eyebrows rose while Rossi continued to stand there looking thoughtful.

"He might not be the Unsub, but he can help us," Hotch said as he left the room.

* * *

Hotch stepped into the interrogation room. He pulled out the chair across from Danny and sat down. Folding his hands in front of him, he rested them on the table. Silently, he sat and looked at Danny for a moment.

Danny sat and stared back. Sweat was beading up on his brow. He wiped a sleeve across it quickly.

"We found what you keep on your computer."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, man!" Danny lost his temper again.

"We are investigating several attacks on local pregnant women and that brought us to you," Hotch laid the pictures of Sarah, Sherry, and Jane in front of Danny.

Danny stared, dumbstruck, at the photos of the beaten women. "I…I didn't do that," he stammered. "I could never hurt them." His anguished eyes looked pleadingly up at Hotch. "You think... the porn... look, I think pregnant chicks are hot. That's all there is to it, man."

"I believe you," Hotch said seriously. "But we need to find whoever did this. You know each of these women. And based on the amount of porn we found on your computer, I'm guessing that you know more pregnant women. If you work with us, you can help to save other women from this attacker."

"I'll do anything," Danny said, returning sad eyes to the pictures.

* * *

"You okay?" Rossi caught Emily on his way out of the observation room after Danny's interview.

Emily's eyes darted around to see who could be listening. The team was walking down the hall back to the main area of the station. She stopped and let them get ahead a little. "It kills me to see these women going through this," she turned her eyes to Rossi.

"I know, it isn't fair," Rossi sympathized.

"It isn't. I'm okay with the decision I made but these women," she paused before continuing, "these women didn't have any choice."

Rossi let her reflect for a moment before continuing. "How about you and Hotch? Things seemed a little tense when you came back."

Emily rolled her eyes a little, "I let my emotions take over. It was all my fault, but I couldn't help it."

"What did he say to you?"

"That's just it. He didn't reprimand me. He was sympathetic and tried to get me to talk about it."

"And did you?"

"Heck no. This is Hotch we're talking about. It's too personal to talk to my boss about," Emily ran a frustrated hand through her hair.

"He's also your friend," Rossi reminded her gently.

"I know," she said quietly.

"He cares about you Emily. More then I think you may realize."

Emily gave him a questioning look which Rossi correctly interpreted. He raised his eyebrows and nodded in response.

"You can't be serious?"

"I am. It's been a while and it's hard for him after everything that's happened, but give him a chance. I think you might be surprised how much he will open up if you give him the opportunity and open to him first. His self-preservation instincts are strong right now, but they will relax around certain people." Rossi let Emily digest that for a moment before continuing, "Come on. Let's catch up before they start wondering." He smiled at her as he placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her down the hallway.

* * *

_A/N: Wow! This was by far the hardest chapter. Writing a profile... not easy. I commend everyone who's done them before me. I just hope mine was even remotely realistic._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I've moved scenes around, removed one that will go back in later on, and added the Rossi scene for romiross (I hope you like it)._


	4. Chapter 4

Emily looked at her watch again. It was well past dinner time. "You want to go in and get something to eat?" she turned to Hotch who was sitting in the driver's seat of the SUV. The team had split up to stake out a number of local restaurants that Danny told them young pregnant waitress's worked at. They were sitting near a diner called Cleo's where a young woman named Rhonda worked. According to Danny, Rhonda was a little over 8 months pregnant and should be working tonight.

Hotch looked at his watch too as he heard Emily's stomach growl. "Ok. Let's go in."

Emily beamed at him and nearly jumped out of the vehicle, "I'm starved."

Hotch couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm for food. She was one of the few women he knew that didn't care what a man thought about her eating habits.

They walked up the street a little before crossing over to Cleo's. The warm air coming from the overhead fan over the doorway felt good compared to the cold December air.

An older woman with the name Wendy on her nametag sat them in a window booth about halfway down the room. They slid into the booth and picked up their menus.

"Not quite how you expected to spend Christmas Eve dinner, huh?" Emily asked, not looking up from her menu.

"Not quite," Hotch replied.

After placing their orders, Emily fiddled with her napkin a moment before saying, "Earlier, you asked me what was bothering me and I said nothing… I lied." She glanced at him quickly to gauge his response.

Hotch sat quietly, and waited for her to continue.

"The reason I was so upset was because each of these women made a choice and it was then stripped from them." Emily didn't meet Hotch's eyes but looked at the napkin in her hands.

Hotch sat for a moment before saying anything. He knew that there was something more behind the thought but that if he pressed he could be crossing a personal line in which there was no return. Except for the casual flirting, his and Emily's relationship has stayed professional. Though he knew that there were deeper feelings stirring within him, he wasn't sure if it was safe to allow them to surface any more. He was also unsure of exactly how Emily felt. The dangers of having a relationship with someone you work with were preached to them yearly during their annual HR refresher briefings. Did either one of them want to bear that burden?

"Is there something you want to tell me about?" he decided to cross the line.

Emily looked at him; stared into his brown eyes which were open, caring, accepting. Her shoulders sank and she sighed lightly. Returning her gaze to her hands, "I've been in their shoes. But I chose not to have my child. These women chose to have them and that choice was taken away from them. They lost their children because someone took them unwillingly."

Hotch reached out and grasped one of Emily's hands. "I'm sorry you had to make that decision. I know that it couldn't have been easy."

"It wasn't but that was a long time ago and I've long since come to terms with it… This case just brings back some of those memories and feelings."

Her hair had fallen over a part of her face and Hotch was having a hard time reading her. He squeezed her hand gently, "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah," she said with a quiet sniffle.

Hotch caught the sniffle and reached up and pushed her hair behind her ear again. In doing so, he caught sight of a small tear making its way down her cheek. He hesitated for a second before cupping her cheek and wiping the tear away with his thumb. "Are you sure?" he asked again as he allowed himself to prolong the touch.

Emily lifted her head and looked into his soft brown eyes again. "Yeah, thanks," she said quietly. Giving a weak smile, she reached up and took his hand that held her cheek into her own. Resisting the urge to kiss his palm, she removed his hand but continued to hold it while they held each other's gaze.

Hotch finally nodded, "Okay." He gave her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it.

Emily could feel her cheeks burning up. She turned toward the window and Hotch respectively looked the other way while she worked to regain her composure.

"How's Jack doing?" she finally asked.

"He's doing good. He's with Jessica tonight. I talked to him a little bit ago and he seemed happy. Hopefully we'll be home tomorrow."

"Even if the case isn't solved, I don't think anyone would complain if you went home to be with him. In fact, I think you should. You guys need each other right now."

"We'll see," Hotch said, looking away from Emily and out the window overlooking the street. After a few moments of silence, Hotch finally broke it. "So what are your plans for the holidays?"

"Nothing really. My Mom's visiting friends in Canada. I plan on drinking lots of hot chocolate and curl up on the couch with some Christmas movies."

"Why don't you join my family?" Hotch said before he even thought about it.

Emily gave him a startled, doe in the headlights look. "Well… I…"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Hotch quickly tried to cover up his blunder. After he said it, he realized that he really wanted her to come, but her reaction made him think otherwise. They had always lightly flirted with each other, but now he wondered if he was mistaken regarding her feelings for him.

"No, um, I mean… that would be nice… if we're done here in time. Thank you," Emily didn't really know what to say. His invitation was so out of the blue and she was thrown off guard. As they sat there in awkward silence, she felt her stomach doing little flips at the thought of spending the holidays with Aaron Hotchner. She couldn't stop the slightly giddy feeling she got, nor the new rush of blood to her face.

* * * *

After dinner, they headed back to the SUV which was freezing inside. They sat quietly for a while, watching their breath as they each sorted through their own thoughts.

"Would you like to get a cup of coffee when this is all done?" Hotch asked into the silence.

Emily looked at him through the darkness for a moment. Hotch didn't turn to look at her, but continued to look forward, toward the restaurant. "Hotch?"

"I'm sorry. I was out of line," he interrupted.

"No. No, you weren't. I just want to know where this is leading."

"I understand," he shifted in his seat slightly to face Emily better. "Haley and I… we loved each other. We had some wonderful times together too. But our relationship was over a long time ago. I feel horrible about what happened, and in many ways, I blame myself. But I'm ready to move on," his eyes dropped to his hands. "For myself and for Jack."

"Hotch…" Emily's voice sounded distant.

"I'm sorry…"

"No, Hotch," Emily was more forceful. "Someone just walked into the alley next to Cleo's. It's almost midnight. Rhonda will be getting off."

Hotch jerked back to the front and peered through the window. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

A scream reached their ears.

They reached for their door handles, jumped out of the vehicle and raced across the street. Hotch was the first to the alleyway entrance. He braced his back against the wall and waited for Emily. She was only a second behind him and nodded that she was ready. He spun around the corner, gun held at chest height. "FBI."

He could see two dark figures near the back door to Cleo's. The larger figure landed a blow on the smaller figure's torso before turning toward him. "FBI," he said again.

The larger figure darted further down the alley, leaving the smaller figure to crumple to the ground. Hotch took off in pursuit. He watched as the person darted around the corner of the next street over. He was right on their heels. Less than half a block away, he tackled the person to the ground. They rolled over in a heap a few times before coming to a halt. Hotch was on top and quickly pulled the Unsub's arm up behind their back and slapped a cuff around it.

* * * *

Emily took the corner right after Aaron, her gun at the ready. She saw the two figures near the back door as one turned to race down the alley. The other figure crumpled to the ground. As Aaron took off after the first person, she stopped next to the second. It was Rhonda. Her face was bloody and bruising was already starting to show. She was clutching her stomach and crying while trying to catch her breath. Emily looked down the alley where Hotch had taken off. He was rounding the corner, leaving the alley, right on the Unsub's heels. She knew that he would catch up within a few seconds.

"Rhonda, look at me," Emily tried to get the girl's attention. "I'm Agent Prentiss, I'm with the FBI. I need you to look at me and take a deep breath," she said in a firm but calming voice.

Rhonda looked up at her with red puffy eyes and tried to take a staggering breath.

"That's it. Now do it again." Emily looked her over in the yellow light that hung over the nearby door.

"It hurts so bad," Rhonda whimpered.

"Where does it hurt?" Emily asked quietly.

"I think…" she winced. "I think I'm having contractions. I'm not ready to have my baby yet. It isn't time." A whole new set of tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"It's ok. Take a deep breath. The paramedics are going to be here soon," Emily tried to reassure her. She looked around her but couldn't find anything that would be useful. She pulled her coat off and bunched it up behind Rhonda's back. "Here, lay back and try to relax." She pulled her phone out and called 911.

When the operator picked up, "I'm Agent Emily Prentiss with the FBI. I'm in an alleyway on Minnesota Ave Southeast, near 34th Street Southeast. At Cleo's Diner. I need paramedics right away. A woman is going into labor."

She hung up as Hotch re-entered the alley with the Unsub in cuffs. "Hotch!! I need you now!"

Hotch pushed the Unsub forward.

Emily did a double take as she watched Hotch force the woman in his custody to sit next to the dumpster. She absently handed him her cuffs and Hotch cuffed the woman to the dumpster. She couldn't believe that a woman would be so cruel as to destroy another woman's unborn child.

Rhonda's whimper brought her back to the present. "She's going into labor," she said as Hotch knelt down beside her.

"Rhonda, I'm Agent Aaron Hotchner with the FBI. Paramedics are on the way and everything is going to be okay." He took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I have a child too. I'm going to coach you through this, ok?"

Rhonda nodded while biting her lower lip.

"Emily, run inside and see if you can get some linens."

Emily quickly dashed inside the door. She came back moments later with an armful of towels and followed by a heavy set black woman.

"Cleo!" Rhonda cried.

"It's alright, child. We're gonna get you through this. Don't you worry your pretty lit'l head 'bout a thing," Cleo cooed to Rhonda as she knelt down beside her. "Emily, here tells me you's from the FBI," she said, turning to Hotch.

He nodded, "I'm Aaron."

"I'm Cleo." They nodded to each other in greeting.

Quickly, they got to work, setting Rhonda up so that she'd be comfortable. As they set the towels under her, they realized that her water had already broken.

"Where are the paramedics? They should have been here by now," Emily worried aloud.

"Streets are pack'd this time of year, ma'am. Always are. They's get here when they's can," Cleo said without looking away from Rhonda.

"Now when I tells you to push, you push wit all you got. You bite on this if you needs to," Cleo handed Rhonda a wooden cooking spoon.

The wide-eyed girl nodded.

Hotch and Emily set themselves up behind Rhonda's shoulders to lend her their support while Cleo took her place at Rhonda's knees.

It wasn't long before Cleo had Rhonda pushing with all of her might. Emily thought Rhonda might have broken her hand with all of the pressure she was putting on it. But every moment was worth it when they all heard the first cries of a baby. Cleo swaddled the baby in clean towels after cutting the umbilical cord and handed the new child over to Rhonda.

"It's a girl," she beamed at Rhonda. "And a Christmas baby by my guess."

Rhonda accepted the bundle with shaking arms. She was silently crying as she looked down on the child's face. "Thank you so much."

Hotch and Emily moved and made Rhonda more comfortable as they heard the sound of the ambulance sirens. "Now they come," Emily said wearily.

Hotch smiled at her, "That was amazing."

"It was, wasn't it?"

Then their eyes fell on the woman sitting cuffed to the dumpster.

"We were wrong," Emily pointed out bluntly.

"We were."

Hotch pulled out his phone and called Morgan. After explaining everything, Morgan instructed him to send the woman with a cop back to the station and they would all meet in the morning at the hotel.

Hotch handed the Unsub over to the first officer that arrived on scene while Emily and Cleo supervised the paramedics overseeing Rhonda. As the scene was clearing, Hotch turned to Emily. She was shivering as she watched the ambulance pull away from the curb. He took his coat off and silently draped it over her shoulders.

Emily looked up at him with an appreciative smile, "Thanks."

Hotch found himself smiling back. "Who ever said that miracles don't happen?" he said, glancing at the retreating ambulance.

They stood silently for a moment. "Want to go for that cup of coffee now?" Emily asked quietly.

Hotch put his arm around her shoulders and smiled softly at her. "Sure," he said as he steered her down the street.

As Emily smiled up at him, she saw snowflakes fall gracefully through the air around them. "Miracles…" she whispered.

* * *

_A/N: Well, that's it... for this story. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of my reviewers. And if your a lurker, I really appreciate you too!! This is your last chace to review if you liked the story. My next story is already in the works. It will be totally different but fun. Hopefully it will be up sometime next month, so put me on author alert if you're interested in reading it when it comes out._

_Happy New Year Everyone!!!!_


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